Kindergarten part of 'adequacy'

Thursday

CONCORD (AP) — The Legislature voted Wednesday to define a state-backed adequate education as including kindergarten and other core subjects — but left it to a future committee to determine the cost.

CONCORD (AP) — The Legislature voted Wednesday to define a state-backed adequate education as including kindergarten and other core subjects — but left it to a future committee to determine the cost.

The state Supreme Court set a July 1 deadline for the state to come up with a definition simple enough to determine its cost. Now that lawmakers have decided a definition, they must start figuring its cost. That will set the stage next year for a battle over a new aid distribution system.

The definition is general policy and does not deal with what the policy would cost.

"Passage of this definition is a significant step toward ensuring that all of New Hampshire's children will have the broad educational opportunities they need to compete in today's world," said Gov. John Lynch.

The Senate approved the bill 15-9 and the House, 205-115.

Democrats and Republicans have differed over how to define adequacy. Republicans argued lawmakers should first know how much the definition would cost the state in the form of school aid. Democrats said the definition should come first; otherwise, the Legislature would be tempted to tailor it to fit an inadequate budget.

State Rep. David Hess, a Hooksett Republican, argued the definition carries an unknown price — particularly by mandating kindergarten. He noted that lawmakers missed past court deadlines without repercussions and could miss Sunday's to keep working on a definition.

"If kindergarten is a part of adequacy, the state — under the Supreme Court decision — has to pay all of it," argued Hess.

Hess also criticized the bill as being ambiguous and unclear.

But House Education Chairwoman Emma Rous said the definition is clearly linked to specific school approval standards and curriculum frameworks that can be used as guidelines.

"The definition maintains the focus on instruction in nine areas," she said.

She added that the definition can be modified by future Legislatures if a need arises.

The bill specifies the subject areas in grades K-12 that all New Hampshire children are entitled to as part of their constitutional right to a public education. These standards are based on existing school approval standards and curriculum frameworks.

The definition mandates kindergarten, which means schools would have to offer it, but parents would not be required to enroll their children since the compulsory school age is 6.

New Hampshire is the only state without universal kindergarten — though all but 13 districts provide it voluntarily, according to the state Department of Education. Two more districts plan to offer it in the fall, further expanding its availability.

The definition leaves open the possibility of providing full-day kindergarten in the future by stripping out a reference in the House-passed bill to "half day" sessions. House and Senate negotiators pointed out that the state standards the bill uses as a reference only mention a half-day program.

"In passing this, New Hampshire joins the rest of the nation in recognizing the importance of early childhood education," said Sen. Iris Estabrook.

The legislation also sets up an oversight committee involving House and Senate members charged with costing out the definition, and reporting its findings and recommendations by Feb. 1, 2008.

The committee will develop and propose criteria for identifying schools with enhanced needs, and identify and propose any resources those schools may need. It will also review transition assistance for school districts that do not provide public kindergarten in order to enable those school districts to do so.

The definition includes subject areas, such as math and reading, without tying them to the hours taught or other specific cost components.

Besides kindergarten, the definition includes the following subject areas: English/language arts and reading, mathematics, science, social studies, arts, world languages, health education, physical education, technology and information and communication technologies.

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